Mechanical toy



P. WRONOWSKI.

MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17,1920.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.,

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MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1920.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' 8mm Mwmmsk 3: 13 Z/J (l Women P. WRONOWSKI.

MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1920 Patented Aug. 3, 1920.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIOTR WRONOWSKI, 0F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

MECHANICAL TOY.

release.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1926..

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Piorn lVnonowsm, citizen of Poland, and resident of Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanical toys, and has for its main object to provide a novel and entertaining, easily operated, mechanical toy, which is simple in construction and inexpensive in cost of manufacture.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in which characters of reference refer to like-namedparts in the drawings. 7

Referring briefly to the drawings, Figure 1 represents my device iii-perspective projection.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same with parts removed to expose the interior.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the same with the side panel of the frame removed to expose the interior.

Fig. 4: is a cross-sectional view substantially on the line 44; of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of one of the mechanical figures illustrative of its operation.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of another of said figures illustrative of its operation.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of still another of the mechanical figures, illustrative of its operation.

Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of the figure illustrated in Fig. 7. 7

Referring now in detail to the drawings. the numeral 1 represents the frame of my device supported on pedestals 2 and 3. Side frame members 4 and 5. which may be of ornamental design, surround the mechan-' ical figures so as to give the appearance of a stage or the'like to the platforms upon which the mechanical figures perform. The pedestal 3 is extended upward as a frame member 6 having a hole therein for the insertion of a key 29 which serves to wind up the siring motor represented generally by 23. incethe latter may be of any desirable and common type. it will not be described in detail, as its specific structure forms no part of my invention. A box-like frame 30 supports and incloses said motor.

aid motor rotates a large gear 28. which meshes'with a small gear 27 which is mounted on a shaft 22. A second gear 27 is mounted on said shaft 22, and is in mesh with a gear 20 mounted on the long shaft 11 supported as shown. A third gear, or preferably a pin-wheel,- 21, is mounted on the shaft 22, having pins or rather widely separated gear teeth 21, as shown in Fig. 4-. A simple lever 24 is pivotally mounted upon a support 25, and the lower end of said lever is forked and the crutch of said fork lies in the path of the teeth 21 of said gear 21. Thus it is apparent that rotation of said gear 21 will cause intermittent reciprocation of said lever.

A cord 31 is attached to the side frame 7 and extends over a loop in another cord and thence to the upper end of said lever,

where it is attached at 32. The cord 33 extends upward through the platform 8 through two holes in the latter, and for the sake of simplicity both ends of the cord 33 above said platform are separately numbered, the one being indicated at 34:, and the other at 35. If desired. the ends of said cord 33 may be passed about rollers such as that at 36 in passing upward through said platform. Another cord 26 is attached at one end to the interior of the wall 7, and passes through the eyelet 32 and thence upward through the platform 8.

In Fig. 1 I have shown three figures, one that of a pianiste 48 and two those of violinists 46 and 47. hen the toy is in operation, as will presently be seen, both arms of the pianists will alternately rise and fall rapidly before the toy piano 4.) in imitation of one playing the piano, and at the same time the arm of the figure 46 will reciprocate horizontally in imitation of one playing a violin; and still at the same time the arm of the violinist 46 will reciprocate vertically also in imitation of one playing a bass violin. The manner of attaining these motions is as follows: It is apparent that, as the gear 21 rotates in a clockwise direction. intermittent or rocking motion will be given the lever 24. As. then, the upper end of said lever so rocks, it will alternately pull and release the cords 31 and 26, thus similarly and synchronously pulling and stretching the strings or cords 26, 34, and 35. Now,

referring first to the figure 47 (Fig. 5), the arm 50 thereof. which carries the bow of the violin. is pivotally attached to the body at 51, and the cord 34 is attached to the shoulder-end ofv the arm as shown; therefore, as said cord 3a is alternately pulled and released (by the cord 31), it is apparent that said figure, and a rod 54 is rigid to said.

shaft at 55. The free end of said rod is provided with an eyelet 53130 which the end of the cord 26 is attached. It is again apparent that alternate pulling and releasing of the cord 26 will cause synchronous rising and falling of the arms 56 of this figure 48. Referring finally to the figure 46, the cord 33 passes through the body thereof and out through a hole 59, and is attached to the arm 58 at 60, said arm being provided with a roove 61 in which the end of said cord lies. aid arm is pivotally attached to the body by a hinge 62, and a spring or elastic band 61 serves to urge said arm against the body. Again, it is apparent that alternate pulling and releasing of the cord 33 will cause synchronous horizontal'motion of the arm 58 which carries the bow.

As aforementioned, the gear 20 is rigid to the long shaft 11, the former turning the latter by virtue of its engagement with the spring motor throu h the gear 27 shaft 22, gears 27 and 28. small pinion or gear 16 is rigid to the end of said long shaft, and lies in engagement with a horizontal face gear or circular rack 15. The latter is secured to a circular plate 14 which is provided with a central hole for the passage therethrough of a short vertical shaft 13 supported in the fioor board 12. A drum 35 is secured to the upper end of the shaft13l An upper fioor board 38 rests upon a level slightly lower than that of the" platform 8, and for the rotation of parts about to be described, a circular recess or hole 38 is cut in said floor board 38. At three equidistant points near the periphery of the plate 14 stand upright posts 41, and upon each is pivotally mount ed a symmetrical dru'm 36. Each of these drums has an upper flange 37 which provides a platform upon which stands a dancing couple 45. These couples are figures in various dancing poses, and they are secured by glue or other means to the top of said flange 37. Each of said drums has also a lower flange 40 of rubber or other material, the periphery thereof being roughened; and the drum 35 is also of rubber or other material, and its periphery is also roughened. The flanges 40 are in contact with the drum 35, so that when said drums 36 revolve about said drum 35, the former are also made to rotate about their own axes, thereby the couples are made to turn in imitation of actual dancing couples. As is apparent from the previous description, the drum 35 is stationary, and the platform 39 rests lightly thereon, the latter being rotated by the rotating drums 37. The function of the platform 39 is simply to cover the hole 38 and to conceal the mechanism otherwise visible therethrough.

A horizontal shaft 75 is pivotally mounted in the walls 7 and 9 directly above the shaft 11, and a gear 19 rigid to the latter engages and drives a gear 18 rigid to the former, thereby causing rotation of the shaft 75. Said shaft 75 is enlarged in diameter through the greater part of its length, as at 76, and pointed fingers 72* stand radially thereon. On either side of said enlarged portion 76 of the shaft 75 is a plate having vibrating reeds 71 cut out therefrom, and said fingers are adapted to engage the tips of said reeds during the rotation of the shaft 75, thus causing the issuance of musical notes from said reeds. By a proper design and arrangement of said reeds and spacing of said rods on said shaft, any desired tune may be caused to issue from said reeds to accompany the dancing of the couples and the imitation playing of the pianiste and violinists.

Now the complete operation of the toy is apparent. After the motor 28 is wound up by the key 29, and allowed then to unwind, the gear 28 turns the gear 27, and hence the gear 27 turns thegear 20 and the shaft 11, the latter causing the couples to revolve and at the same time to rotate about their own axes. The gear 21, which is turned by the shaft 22, causes rocking of the lever 24 and hence causes sideward reciprocating motion of the arm 58 of the violinist 46, vertical reciprocating motion of the arm 50 of the violinist 47, and vertical reciprocating motion of the arms 56 of the pianiste 48; at the same time the musical notes issue from the reeds 71 as above described.

Thus it is seen that I have invented a useful and entertaining, toy, which is a close and natural imitation of a dancing party and an orchestra in accompaniment with the dancers. My toy is simple in construction, and the whole occupies only a small amount of space and is all supported upon legs or pedestals so that it may be conveniently carried about even by a child.

I claim:

A device of the class described comprising a frame, a spring motor mounted therein, a

, gear driven by said motor, a relatively long shaft having a gear at each end, one of said last-named gears being in mesh with said first-named gear, a disk pivotally mounted in horizontal position and having an annular rack on the bottom thereof, the other gear on said long shaft lying in mesh with said rack, a plurality of drums pivotally mounted upon said disk, an upright extending rigidly from the center of said disk, a

circular platform mounted rigidly in horizontal position upon said upright, a cylindrical member on the underside of said platmasses form concentric thereivith, said drums having pivotal contact with said member, open-' ings in said platform, said drums extending upward through said openings, figures mounted upon the tops of said drums, at plurality of figures representing musicians mounted upon said frame, each of said musicians having one arm pivotally attached to the body, cords attached to said arms, a

lever pivotally mounted in said frame adj acent said shaft, one end of said lever being forked, said cords connected to the other end of said lever, a wheel pivotally mounted in said frame and rotatable by said motor, spaced apart projections on the periphery of said Wheel, said forked end of said lever lying in the path of said projections, resilient means urging said forked end against said wheel, and means for turning said motor.

Signed at N. S. Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania this 7th day of February, A. D. 1920.

PIOTR WRONOWSKI. 

